The European Universities Initiative (EUI) is financed by the Erasmus+ programme. Only collaborative alliances can apply for this status. The goal is for higher education institutions to commit to closer institutional cooperation, which in turn will contribute to increased mobility, academic development and research.
The acceptance rate is low: just under 20 percent of universities in Europe have EUI status.
The university alliance Emerge is among those that have been given the green light from the EU in this year's allocation round. The alliance consists of nine universities and colleges from eight countries. INN University has been part of Emerge since 2019, and the collaboration is central to the university's international work.
Believed in the project
All the partners in the alliance are located outside major cities and work to strengthen the regions rather than connect them more closely to central areas.
– We have always believed in this project and worked purposefully; now we get confirmation that it has been the right strategy, says Pro-Rector for Education, Stine Grønvold.
After this year's allocation, there are 64 EUI alliances, involving 560 higher education institutions in Europe.
A total budget of 14 million euros
The total funding for the project is 14,359,208 euros, with INN University's share amounting to approximately NOK 20.3 million paid over a period of four years.
– The allocation allows us to realise the ambitions of the Emerge project. The support will be used to build structure and framework, says Grønvold.
INN University will participate in all work packages related to the Project, and will lead the work package on lifelong learning. Additionally, we have special responsibility in the two work packages that deal with quality systems and strategic work, and sustainable, inclusive and strong campuses.
With EUI status, the partners in the alliance must have a common long-term strategy for education that strengthens the connection between education, research and innovation. The strategy should facilitate the free flow of students and staff between institutions.
– Now everyone in the entire institution has the opportunity to work internationally, says Grønvold.
Evidence of good cooperation
In the feedback on the application, the European Commission highlighted the criteria of relevance and the composition of the consortium.
– It shows that we have worked well together, and that we have many other adjacent projects that strengthen the alliance. They also point out that we have worked well with the strategy and have been able to describe our place in the European university landscape very well, says Grønvold.
Emerge comments on the news on their website
Prestige status
– This is a mark of quality and prestige, says the pro-rector, elaborating:
– The EU turns to university alliances for inspiration and input on education policy. This gives us a completely different opportunity to influence and shape education policy both nationally and internationally, she says.
– In a broader perspective, this is about European democratic values, where securing unity is central. In the global context, the fact that we achieve such collaborations is of great significance, she believes.
Important for the university ambition
Rector Peer Jacob Svenkerud is clear that INN University's commitment to the Emerge alliance is important for the university of applied sciences' university ambition.
– International cooperation not only opens up new opportunities, but also makes us better and helps to improve the quality of our work. NOKUT's (The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education) expert committee concluded that INN University maintains a high international level. In this effort, the Emerge collaboration has played an important role. That we now receive EUI status comes as further confirmation that we are at the university level, says Svenkerud.
Useful links
The international webpage of Emerge
Contact
- stine.gronvold@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 62 43 00 73